There’s been much debate these past few years over the cause of the so-called global warming “hiatus” — a pause in the overall uptick up of Earth’s temperature due to cooling at the surface of the Pacific Ocean since the early 2000s. Did climate warming stop? Nope, we just weren’t looking deep enough.

5 June 2014

One of the hottest areas of oceanic research centres around deep sea hydrothermal vents and the unique animal species that call it home. But at depths of more than a mile, donning a snorkelling mask and flippers just won’t cut it. That’s why Ocean Networks Canada has deployed a state-of-the-art camera to document life in the Grotto Hydrothermal Vent in real time.

2 April 2014

Barely a week since successfully completing sea trials after a three year hiatus, the venerable research sub Alvin is already earning back the $US42 million in hardware upgrades and engineering retrofits it’s received — showing off its spacious new three-crew cabin with a quick dive to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. But this is no pleasure cruise.

17 March 2014

Even though they cover two-third’s of the planet’s surface, we know precious little about how the oceans actually interact with the continents and atmosphere. What’s more, our oceanic models are woefully incomplete — only capable of showing large areas with reduced resolution or in high detail over a limited area. But a new fleet of autonomous research submarines are about to rectify that problem.

25 October 2012

Sand Tiger sharks have been patrolling coastal waters worldwide for more than 250,000 years. But with only a pair of pups born every few years, this placid apex predator is succumbing to human pressures.

18 September 2012

Over the course of 4400 dives, Alvin has done just about everything. Its recovered lost nukes, explored the ruins of the HMS Titanic, and upturned our understanding of the deep sea with the discovery of hydrothermal vents bustling with unimaginable forms of life. But after 48 years of service, the venerable ROV is starting to show its age, and is quickly being eclipsed by newer models.

15 October 2011

How do you land 140,000 allied troops on an 8km stretch of beach under heavy German bombardment? Very carefully. And to ensure the deployment of forces without stranding landing craft while juking Rommel out of his shoes, the Allies employed these machines to predict the height of the tides.

9 October 2010

What better way to learn about the ocean’s depths than plastering this contraption on a wild seal’s head? This guy and 56 of his friends are gathering information about the seafloor to help scientists model the ocean’s reaction to climate change.

21 August 2010

This picture shows the hybridisation of plastic garbage with marine life – algae and tiny invertebrates have made a home on plastic that has been floating in the North Atlantic for decades. Now scientists say the plastic is disappearing.

26 March 2010

Beneath the sea between Cuba and Jamaica lies the Cayman Trough, a rift where two tectonic plates are pulling away from each other, leaving a three-mile deep volcanic trench. Scientists are going to drown some robots in it.